Paper fastener



March 23, 1943. c. l. WAGNER' 2,314,532

PAPER. FASTENER Filed July 26, 1940 Patented Mar. 23,` 1943 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE PAPER FASTENER Chester I. Wagner, Brooklyn, N. Y.Application July 26, 1940, Serial No. 347,576

7 Claims. v((371.724-153) This invention relates to a paper fastener andhas special reference to a device for fastening papers such as letters,pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, and similar articles in book form forling or the like.

More particularly this invention relates to a paper fastener comprisinga base having spaced ears, one at each end, and a prong for each end ofthe base, each of the prongs having an aperture adjacent one end'-thereof for detachably;- receiving cne of the ears to secure the prongre1-" atively to the base, with the free ends of the prongs beingadapted to be inserted through 'I apertures in the paper to be fastened.

Itis also contemplated by the present invention to provide a compressorfor cooperation with the base, the free end of each of the prongs beingadapted to be bent inwardly toward each other over the compressor andthe compressor having means comprising openings adjacent the endsthereof or at the end edges for cooperating withthe prongs for aidinginmaintaining an assembled. relation of the base and compressor.

In the usual paper fasteners of the type above described. the prongsthereof have been formed of sheetl metal and either integrally ordetachably secured to the sheet metal base. Both the base and the prongstherefor have been stamped of sheet metal and burred edges areinescapable' in the stamping operation on the flat metal. Correspondentsand file clerks, in the ,instance of handling sheet metal prongs of thistype, together with the bases, have had to risk acquiring cut,scratched, or unsightly fingers from the usual burred edges thereof anddanger of infection andv serious disablement has been an ever-presentperil. The present invention contemplates the use of a prong for eachend of the base, the

prong being flattened from wire stock. Such avr construction providessmooth edges and, aside from the use of smooth round wire prongs, isper;

haps the only practical manner of eliminating burred prongs andcontributes a safety factor in the use of paper fasteners.

Individual prongs are formed from a continuous length of wire preferablyof round cross section. In separating the wire to individual units of adesirable length, the parting tool may leave a burr at the end of theunits resulting from the shearing cut. While each end of the prongattached to the base lies inside the base member and cannot scratch inhandling by the hands nor can it catch on other les, the free end isexposed. Protection is afforded in handling by the provision of a crossrib adjacent each free end of thel prongs to deflect the ngers of fileclerks and correspondents.

The use of a prong for each end of the base with the prong beingdetachably secured to the base in an extremely simple manner permitsprongs to be quickly changed'so that prongs of one, two, or more inchescapacity are insertable when and if more than a minimum amount of bulkis accumulated in one file. The practice of buying complete fastenerswith attached prongs is of course generally wasteful and inconvenientand the use of the detachable prongs with a single and convenient methodof attaching the prongs to the base affords a maximum of economy. Thepurchaser may stock a substantial number of bases, compressors, andprongs, with the proportional number of shorter prongs being greaterthan the number of longer prongs, whereafter it -Will be moreconvenientto file the papers to be fastened on the shorter prongs untilthe actual growth of some of the files may demand greater capacity whenthe prongsof more substantial length may be substituted, the bases andcompressors being retained.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a paper fastener ofthe character hereinabove noted, in which each prong is easily andconveniently snapped on or detached from the base for purposes-cfinterchangeability of prongs and of convenience in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide paper fastener of thetype indicated above which` will afford a maximum of safety in the usethereof, thus eliminating danger of infection and serious disablement ofthe user.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter` be more particularlypointed out and for a more complete understanding of the characteristicfeatures of this invention, reference may now be had to the followingdescription when read together with the accompanying drawing, in whichlatter VFigure 1 is a plan elevational view of a paper fastenerincorporating the features of this invention, the paper fastener beingshown in use `in fastening papers vwhich latter are shown fragmentarily;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 2--2 of Fig.l;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the fastener and compressor assemblyprior to the locking of the prongs of the base in position over the com-Fig. 4. is a plan elevational view of a fragmentary portion of a basedisclosing in detail the manner in which the prong shown partially insection is fastened to the base;

Fig. 5 is an underneath plan of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4 andFig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the prongs embodied in theabove-described figures.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the paper fastener showntherein incorporating the features of this invention comprises a base IGhaving prongs II and I2 secured thereto, one for each end of the base,and a compressor I3 for co-operation with the prongs and base.

The base I0 is elongated and is preferably formed of thin sheet metal.Longitudinally extending embossments I4 and I5 are formed intermediatethe width of the baseadjacent each end thereof, the inside walls of theembossments preferably being continuous and communicating with eachother as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. The material of the base IIIintermediate the embossments i4 and I5 may also be preferably embossedas at I6 for purposes of reinforcing the base and, although notnecessary, may be desirable.

Each of the embossed portions I4 and I5 of the base I0 is provided withan ear II and I8, respectively, the ears being bent to form laterallyextending pookets I9 and 2G. The ears I'I and IB are preferably cut anddeformed from the mateterial of the base I@ within the embossed portionsand one end of each of the embossed portions I4 and I5 has an opening 2iand 22, respectively.

Each of the prongs II and I2 are formed of a wire stock flattened into athin strip comprising a main body portion 23, and offset portion 24adjacent one end of the main body portion. The end opposite to theoffset end is provided with a raised portion 25 for purposes which willhereinafter be more particularly pointed out. An aperture 26 is disposedat the juncture of the offset portion 24 with the main body portion 23,the aperture 2E providing a closed loop at one end of the prong. Thefree end of the prong is adapted to be inserted through apertures in thepaper or articles to be fastened while the other looped end of the prongis secured to the base. In flattening the ordinary round wire, the edgesof the flattened strip resulting therefrom are smooth and preventsnagging or jagging the iingers by contact therewith.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 4 of the drawing, the looped endof the prong is shown as being attached to the base, the loop formed bythe apertured offset portion 24 being received in the laterallyextending pocket I9 of the ear Il. The width of the ear is substantiallythe same as the aperture 26 of the prong and the offset portion is ofsuch a height as to rest within the confines of the embossed portion ofthe base.

In order to assemble the prongs on the base, the free end of the prongII is inserted through the opening 2i whereafter the looped end isthreaded into the laterally extending pocket I9, the free end of the earbeing raised out of the opening from which it is cut to permit theapertured offset portion 24 forming the loop to pass therebeneath. Afterthe looped end of the prong is engaged intothe laterally extendingpocket I9, the ear I7 is bent down into the position within theembossment I4 as shown particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawing if theresiliency of the metal does not function to perform the operationautomatically. The extending free end of the prong II is thereafter bentupwardly at substantially right angles to the plane of the base within anotch 21 formed in an end edge of the base I0, a similar notch 28 beingformed in the opposite end to receive therewithin the extending free endof the prong I2.

The compressor I3 is formed preferably of an elongated strip of sheetmetal having longitudinally-extending guides along each side edge in theform preferably of a channel produced by forming flanges 29 and 3l] frommaterial of the strip inwardly in a direction toward each otherterminating in a spaced relation from each other and from the main bodyportion of the strip. A pair of latching members 3l and 32 slidablyengage the channels formed by the bent-over flanges 29 and 3i), each ofthe latching members comprising a raised portion having laterallyextending corrugations with side flanges 33 received in the channels.

The compressor is provided with openings 34 and 35 preferably ofsubstantially rectangular area adjacent each end thereof for receivingthe free extending ends of the prongs II and I2, respectively. Theprongs are bent over in a direction toward each other against thecompressor I3 after extending through the apertures 34 and 35. In orderto maintain the relation of the bent-over ends of the prongs to thecompressor, the slides 3l and 32 are moved over the prongs, the latterbeing` provided with the raised portions 25 for engaging thecorrugations of the latching members to. provide an interlockingresilient engagementtherebetween. The raised portions 25 act also todeiiect the fingers of le clerks and correspondents from contact withany parting burrs on the free ends of the prongs during the handlingstood that various modifications thereof may be apparent to thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of thisinvention and therefore the same is to be limited only by the scope ofthe prior art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A paper fastener comprising a base having inwardly extending earso-ne at each end, and having an aperture adjacent the fixed outer end ofeach ear, a flat metal prong for each end of said base, each of saidprongs being insertable through one of said base apertures and having anaperture extending through the body of the metal adjacent one endthereof for detachably receiving one of said ears to secure said prongrelatively to said base, the free ends of said prongs being adapted tobe inserted through apertures in the paper to be fastened.

2. A paper fastener comprising a base having inwardly extending spacedears one at each end, and having an aperture adjacent the fixed outerend of each ear, a flat wire prong for each end of lsaid base, each ofsaid prongs being insertable body portion and an oiset portion adjacentone.

end thereof, and an aperture at the juncture'of said offset portion fordetachably receiving one of said ears to secure said prong relatively tosaid base, said main body portions of said prongs being adapted to beinserted through apertures in the paper to be fastened.

4. A paper fastener comprising an elongated base having spaced inwardlyextending ears one at each end, a flat metal prong for each end of saidbase, each of said prongs having a main body portion and an offsetportion adjacent one end thereof, said offset portion having an apertureextending through the body of the metal at the juncture of the offsetportion with said main body portion to form a closed loop, said earsforming laterally extending pockets for receiving said loops fordetachably securing said prong relatively to said base, the main bodyportions of said prongs being adapted to be inserted through aperturesin the paper to be fastened.

5. A paper fastener comprising an elongated base having spaced inwardlyextending ears one at each end, and an aperture adjacent each ear, a atmetal prong for each end of said base, each of said prongs having a mainbody portion and an offset portion adjacent one end thereof, said oisetportion havinor an aperture extending through the body of the metal atthe juncture thereof with said main body portion to form a closed loop,said ears having raised portions forming laterally extending pockets forreceiving said loops for detachably securing said prong relatively tosaid base, the free ends of said prongs being adapted to be insertedthrough apertures adjacent said ears and thereafter through apertures inthe paper to be fastened.

6. A paper fastener comprising an elongated base having spaced inwardlyextending ears intermediate the ends thereof and a notch at each endedge, a at metal prong for each end of said base, a compressor, each ofsaid prongs having a main body portion and an offset portion adjacentone end thereof, said offset portion having an aperture extendingthrough the body of the metal at the juncture thereof with said mainbody portion to form a closed loop, said ears having raised portionsforming laterally extending pockets for receiving said loops fordetachably securing said prong relatively to said base, said base havingan aperture between each of said notches and ears, the free ends of saidprongs being adapted to be inserted through said base apertures and intosaid base notches, said prongs thereafter passing through apertures inthe paper to be fastened and bent inwardly towards each other over saidcompressor.

7. A paper fastener wherein a base member is provided with means forselective locked attachment or ready removal of paper-penetrating prongsof varying lengths, comprising in combination a base member stamped fromflat deformable sheet metal and embossed to provide a longitudinallyrigid member having a central depression, said base member havingprong-engaging and locking ears struck from the material thereofadjacent each end, portions of the base member beyond each of said earsbeing provided with prongadmitting apertures, prongs for each end ofsaid base member, each of said prongs being formed from Wire of circularcross section compressed to form a at strap having smooth rounded edges,each prong including a main body portion and an offset locking portionadjacent o-ne end thereof, said offset locking portion having anaperture extending through the body of the wire at the juncture thereofwith said main body portion t-o form a locking slot for saidprong-engaging and locking ears, each of said prongs being separatelyinsertable into locked relationship with said base member by Abodilypassing the main body portion through one of the prong-admittingapertures therein, inserting the adjacent ear through the aperture insaid olset portion, and deforming an intermediate part of the main bodyportion of said prong about the adjacent end of said base member.

t CHESTER I. WAGNER.

